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'Our families are quite close' - Dan Lydiate on time with Sexton

Osprey's flanker Dan Lydiate has revealed his family and Johnny Sexton's got quite close during h...



Osprey's flanker Dan Lydiate has revealed his family and Johnny Sexton's got quite close during his time with Racing 92.

Lydiate joined the French side in 2013, playing over 30 times for the team, while Sexton played 40 times for Racing 92 from 2013 until 2015 scoring 350 points in the process.

"We were at Racing for, well I was there for 18 months with him," said Lydiate at the launch of the European Champions Cup launch in Cardiff. "We got on quite well, especially off the field. Good bloke. Our families are quite close.

"Johnny's wife is a godmother to my daughter and my wife is godmother of one of his little ones as well. I don't know if I know all his secrets, but I know a few."

The 31-year-old has pulled on the Welsh jersey 64 times since making his debut for the national team in 2009. He wasn't included in Warren Gatland's side for the recent World Cup where Wales got to a semi-final losing to eventual champions South Africa and suffering a second loss to New Zealand in the bronze final match.

"Obviously you want to play in the big tournaments and for your country. It wasn't meant to be," said Lydiate. "I was sending text messages to the boys out there and they got so close. But it wasn't meant to be for the national team this time. It would be nice to get them back now, back into the club colours.

Ospreys will face Munster in the first round of Pool 4 of this season's European Champions Cup. Lydiate had been substituted into the second row when playing the Reds in the recent win for Munster in the Pro14 in Cork.

"It's not through choice, it was needs-must," said the natural-blindside flanker. "Obviously we lost a couple of second rows.

"There's only one fit second row we had on the books. It's been tough at the minute, but as I said it was needs-must. Last week I got back to the back-row so I was happy there.

"Munster are a quality outfit. We'll look forward to playing them, we look forward to playing the best players they are a very strong outfit. It's going to be a very good first game for us."

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European Champions Cup Lydiate Munster Ospreys Racing 92 Sexton